Thursday, May 10, 2007

As much as I have criticized MASN, one of the most interesting aspects of the coverage of the Orioles on that network is this year is that you get a lot of in-depth and post game stuff that is fairly rare on other networks.

Last night (keep in mind, I never watch the post-game stuff either because I am at the game, or I have better things to do), but Erik Bedard put on one of the most bizzare, yet alluring post game interviews I have ever heard.

I watched, laughed in amazement and then asked myself why Erik Bedard was such a dick last night.

Basically, I saw the wit, brilliance and utter ignorance of our ace.

Both Matt Palmer of the Baltimore Examiner and Roch Kubatko of the Baltimore Sun have the transcript of the post-game interview on their respective blogs, but I just copied and pasted it from Roch's.

Reporter: "Were you just in a zone with those strikeouts?"

Bedard: "It just happened. I was throwing strikes and they were swinging."

Reporter: "Is there any difference in how you pitched tonight and how you were pitching earlier? The results are different, obviously."

Bedard: "Same. Same."

Reporter: "You don't think your location has been any better?"

Bedard: "No. I think it's pretty much the same."

Reporter: "Do you like those kind of games, those tight games, where any one pitch can mean the difference?"

Bedard: "It doesn't really matter. 5-0 or 0-0. It doesn't matter."

Reporter: "I'm sure you wanted to get the win. Was it hard not to talk your way back in the game and go another inning."

Bedard: "Yeah, but I was done."

Reporter: "Is there any added pressure when the guy across from you on the other side is dealing the way Shields was tonight?"

Bedard: "No, not really. You just go out there and pitch."

Reporter: "How do you explain the difference in the results, how you were pitching earlier and how you pitched tonight?"

And that was it for Bedard, who removed himself from the interview, much like he removed himself from a scoreless game after seven innings by indicating to pitching coach Leo Mazzone and manager Sam Perlozzo that he was tired. Or "done" in his own word.

I didn't know what to think, but I was oddly entertained. However, it brings me to this point -- being an athlete, especially one with the talents of Bedard, one would think that it is in your job description that you may have to deal with the media every once in a while.

Especially if you're the "man" on the squad, and pitched a masterful game.

Concerning Bedard, I heard an interview this spring, (I can't remember where) and he was animated, funny, thoughtful and more importantly, not anti-social; therefore, I thought he seems like a cool guy, and I harked why does he not do more interviews?

He's no doubt part of the future of the team, and Baltimore is fairly docile in terms of the media in comparison to New York, Chicgo or Boston where if he pulled what he pulled last night, well, he'd be in therapy if he ever read the papers.

It would be nice if he'd make himself more open to the fan base and the media. However, he's just an *athlete*, so we should not realistically expect any more from him. I'd figure that he would have learned by now that dealing with the media is part of your job, and sometimes you just have to grin and bear it.

The media serves as a conduit between the athlete and the fan, and some athletes like Bedard need to think real hard that maybe some of us fans might want to know what you're thinking.

No one says you have to become Curt Schilling and start up your own blog, but an interview would not hurt every once in a while.

A lot of time it takes a lot of more effort to be standoffish than it does to be nice.

Some of these guys should remember that they are lucky to be in the position that they are in...